1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image copying apparatus and an image copying method, and in particular to an image copying apparatus and an image copying method that make the printing results of the same manuscript the same, regardless of differences in the printing direction, even when the size of a read image has been adjusted at the time of printing.
2. Related Art
Conventional image copying apparatus and image copying methods adjust a printing area such that the printing result becomes the same as a manuscript.
For example, when the scale factor of a scanner is less than 100%, such as 99%, conventional image copying apparatus and image copying methods conduct printing at about 101% at the time of image formation as a result of conducting adjustment of the printing scale factor such that the printing result becomes the same as the manuscript. At this time, an image portion exceeding 100% is not printed.
Further, the directions in which an image is formed include a direction in which an image is formed without rotating a read image and a direction in which an image is formed after rotating the read image 180° When an image is rotated 180° and formed in a case where the printing scale factor after adjustment exceeds 100% as in the above-described example, an image cropped by the printing area becomes formed backwards because the printing start position and the printing area of the image are fixed.
In other words, the position of an image that exceeds the printing area (100%) and is cropped differs between when image formation is conducted without rotating the read image and when image formation is conducted after rotating the read image. Consequently, a difference emerges in the image printed on paper.
Conversely, when the scale factor of the scanner exceeds 100%, such as 101%, conventional image copying apparatus and image copying methods conduct printing at about 99% at the time of image formation as a result of conducting adjustment of the printing scale factor such that the printing result becomes the same as the manuscript. At this time, an image portion less than 100% is handled as a margin. In other words, a margin portion becomes added to the image.
When an image is formed after rotating the read image 180 degrees when the printing scale factor after adjustment is less than 100% as in the above-described example, the image to which the margin has been added becomes formed backwards because the printing start position and the printing area of the image are fixed. Consequently, a difference emerges in the image printed on paper between when image formation is conducted without rotating the read image and when image formation is conducted after rotating the read image.
Thus, an image copying apparatus and an image copying method have been proposed which make the printing results of the same manuscript the same, regardless of differences in the printing direction, even when the size of a read image has been adjusted at the time of printing.
For example, known examples relating to the invention include Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2002-118700. The image copying apparatus disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-118700 adjusts the feeding timing of image signals and/or the feeding timing of paper, whereby a read image is printed at an appropriate position on paper even when the read image is larger than the printable area.
However, in the image copying apparatus disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-118700, it is necessary to exquisitely adjust the feeding timing of the image signals and/or the feeding timing of the paper.
Thus, an image copying apparatus and an image copying method are desired which make, by control that is easier than in conventional image copying apparatus, the printing results of the same manuscript the same, regardless of differences in the printing direction, even when the size of a read image has been adjusted at the time of printing.